Phantom Thread

          Phantom Thread, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicki Krieps, and Lesley Manville, is about artist/fashion designer, Reynolds, whose occupation demands most of his time. He works through the day and night and works with his sister, Cyril on dresses for royalty, models, and those who are willing to pay for it. When he meets Alma, a waiter at a restaurant he visits, he immediately becomes overwhelmed with infatuation at, not only her beauty, but her perfect body as well. He invites her over to his house and begins to employ her model-esque body for his work while at the same time "dating" her. Their relationship goes on from there, but it is by far one of the most interesting on-screen relationships of 2017. It's also one of the most intriguing films of last year as well.
          The relationship between Reynolds and Alma goes through trials and twists, but it isn't exactly one that gets described and tested by plot. Rather, the film acts more as a character study of the two and through this relationship, you start to see the deeper reason that makes Reynolds who he is and why he is the way he is. Their relationship is tested by their personalities and halfway through the movie I started to wonder if they were even compatible with each other. That does get answered, but in the strangest way imaginable.
          By far my favorite aspect of this movie was the relationship between Reynolds and Alma. Seeing both of their strong personalities conflict with each other was amazing. The movie does tend to force you to side with either person. Depending on your personality you'll side and resonate with either Reynolds or Alma, but the movie ends up having pros and cons for both characters which was surprising. Also, the score for the movie is spectacular. The composer is Radiohead's very own Johnny Greenwood and he goes for a heavy impressionistic vibe that sort of resembles the overbearing nature of Reynolds character ( I don't know if that was intentional, but it was something I noticed). The score also calls upon the dreamy qualities of impressionism that somewhat channels the "floating on a cloud" feel that is so closely associated with composers such as Debussy and Ravel. It's charming, it swoons, and its definitely one of the highlights of the film in my opinion. Of course, how could I not mention the fantastic performance by Day-Lewis? "Saying he is great in a film is like saying Studio Ghibli has wonderful animation...no shit," said Chris Stuckmann in his video review for this movie. I'm not too familiar with his works, but after watching this I can definitely say that I'm going to check out more of his movies. Krieps and Manville also give fantastic performances. Since the movie is centered around a dressmaking fashion designer, it only makes sense that the costume design would be amazing. The dresses really are stunning and add a lot to the visual narrative of the film. The cinematography is also above average.
          Now, I wouldn't say this film is perfect in any way. In order to get any enjoyment out of this movie, you first have to be open to the idea of using slow pacing as a narrative tool. This movie is heavy slow burn at its finest and it will drive some away. I personally like those types of films, but there are some parts that did drag. Also, the ending was a bit strange. Reynolds makes a certain decision and for me, it felt a bit out of place for his character. You'll obviously have to watch the film to know what I'm talking about, but I'm not sure it will work for a lot of people. I still liked the ending, but I'm still thinking about it and whether or not I liked it. The film also employs flashback narrative, but it felt a bit unnecessary to me. They could have either cut it out or used it more reasonably and I'm sure the movie would stay the same.
          Overall, this movie is a wonderful showcase for Day-Lewis's talent while also providing a popularity step for Vicki Krieps. The story and the on-and-off chemistry between the two actors is quite charming. Rumor has it that this is Day-Lewis's last performance and I hope that isn't the case, but if it is, then its safe to say he went out on a high note. 8.5/10